Korean lessons: Lesson 11

Numbers (I)

Two Sets of numbers

Two sets of numbers are in use in Korean: native Korean and Chinese-based sets. The Chinese-based set transmitted to Korea long time ago, probably with Chinese writing system, to settle in the language. It is also the case in Japanese, and we see certain phonological similarity among Chinese numbers and Chinese-based sets of Japanese and Korean numbers.

    Japanese Korean
one yi ichi il (일)
two er ni i (이)
three san san sam (삼)
four si shi sa (사)
five wu go o (오)

In fact, the Japanese and Korean sounds of Chinese numbers are quite similar to those in many modern Chinese dialects, sometimes even more similar than modern Mandarin to them. The Chinese remnants in Japanese and Korean, along with other Chinese dialects, reflect old phases of Chinese language.

For the sake of our convenience, let us call these two sets ‘Korean numbers’ and ‘Chinese numbers.’ Here are the two sets of 1 to 10.

Korean numbers

Chinese numbers

1

하나

2

3

4

5

다섯

6

여섯

7

일곱

8

여덟

9

아홉

10

There is no semantic difference between the two sets. Both ‘하나’ and ‘일’ means one. They differ according to when and how they are used. We will discuss this in the next lesson.

First, let us learn more about the Chinese numbers. Counting more than ten observes the arithmetic principles. Take “12” and “20” for example. 12 is made of 10 and 2–there are other ways of making it, but this is what the number stands for–. On the other hand, 20 stands for two tens. Thus, the Chinese number has them:

12 = 10 + 2
십 이

20 = 2 x 10
이 십

Chinese numbers under 100

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
십일 십이 십삼 십사 십오 십육 십칠 십팔 십구
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
이십 이십일 이십이 이십삼 이십사 이십오 이십육 이십칠 이십팔 이십구
30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39
삼십 삼십일 삼십이 삼십삼 삼십사 삼십오 삼십육 삼십칠 삼십팔 삼십구

Tens, hundreds, thousands . . .

0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
tens
10
20
이십
30
삼십
40
사십
50
오십
60
육십
70
칠십
80
팔십
90
구십
hundreds
100
200
이백
300
삼백
400
사백
500
오백
600
육백
700
칠백
800
팔백
900
구백
thousands
1,000
2,000
이천
3,000
삼천
4,000
사천
5,000
오천
6,000
육천
7,000
칠천
8,000
팔천
9,000
구천
10 thou.
10,000
20,000
이만
30,000
삼만
40,000
사만
50,000
오만
60,000
육만
70,000
칠만
80,000
팔만
90,000
구만
100 thou.
십만
100,000
십만
200,000
이십만
300,000
삼십만
400,000
사십만
500,000
오십만
600,000
육십만
700,000
칠십만
800,000
팔십만
900,000
구십만
millions
백만
1 mil.
백만
2 mil.
이백만
3 mil.
삼백만
4 mil.
사백만
5 mil.
오백만
6 mil.
육백만
7 mil.
칠백만
8 mil.
팔백만
9 mil.
구백만
10 mil.
천만
10 mil.
천만
20 mil.
이천만
30 mil.
삼천만
40 mil.
사천만
50 mil.
오천만
60 mil.
육천만
70 mil.
칠천만
80 mil.
팔천만
90 mil.
구천만
100 mil.
100 mil.
200 mil.
이억
300 mil.
삼억
400 mil.
사억
500 mil.
오억
600 mil.
육억
700 mil.
칠억
800 mil.
팔억
900 mil.
구억

Notice that ‘one hundred’, ‘one thousand’, etc. are not ‘일백’, ‘일천’, etc.

Now, let us see how these work.

168: 백 육십 팔

250: 이백 오십

7,892: 칠천 팔백 구십 이

980,768,543: 구억 팔천 칠십 육만 팔천 오백 사십 삼

Some examples in the usage of Chinese numbers.

Money: 만 이천 원 (12,000 won), 삼천 오백 달러 (3,500 dollar)

Phone number: 238-7834 (이삼팔에 칠팔삼사)

Room/APT Number: Room 305 (삼백오 호)

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